Editing Cornel Wilde (section)

===Films===

Wilde had an uncredited bit part in ''[[Lady with Red Hair]]'' (1940), then got a small part in ''[[High Sierra (film)|High Sierra]]'' (1941), which included a scene with [[Humphrey Bogart]]. He also had small roles in ''[[Knockout (1941 film)|Knockout]]'' (1941) and ''[[Kisses for Breakfast (film)|Kisses for Breakfast]]'' (1941).<ref>{{cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |date=September 19, 1954 |title=That Wilde Man |page=V30 |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune}}</ref>

Signed by [[20th Century Fox]], he got above-title billing in ''[[The Perfect Snob]]'' (1941); studio publicity falsely claimed it was his first film.<ref name="latobit" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/26862|title=The Perfect Snob|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> It was followed by a war movie ''[[Manila Calling]]'' (1942).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/27339|title=Manila Calling|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> He was the romantic male lead in ''[[Life Begins at Eight-Thirty]]'' (1942), supporting [[Monty Woolley]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/27312|title=Life Begins at Eight-Thirty|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> and supported [[Sonja Henie]] in ''[[Wintertime (film)|Wintertime]]'' (1943).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/765|title=Wintertime|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref>

In 1945, [[Columbia Pictures]] began a search for someone to play the role of [[Frédéric Chopin]] in ''[[A Song to Remember]]''. They eventually tested Wilde, and agreed to cast him in the role after some negotiation with Fox, who agreed to lend him to Columbia and one film a year for several years. Part of the deal involved Fox borrowing [[Alexander Knox]] from Columbia to appear in ''Wilson'' (1944).<ref>{{cite news |last=Challert |first=Edwin |date=December 3, 1943 |title=Drama And Film |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |id={{ProQuest|165466539}}}}{{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref> ''A Song to Remember'' was a big hit, made Wilde a star and earned him a nomination for an [[Academy Award for Best Actor]].<ref name="nytobit" />

Columbia promptly used him in two more films, both swashbucklers: as [[Aladdin]] in ''[[A Thousand and One Nights (1945 film)|A Thousand and One Nights]]'' with [[Evelyn Keyes]]<ref>{{cite news |date=July 13, 1945 |title=Cornel Wilde, Evelyn Keyes In New Technicolor Arabia |page=4 |newspaper=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]}}</ref> and as the son of [[Robin Hood]] in ''[[The Bandit of Sherwood Forest]]'' (made 1945, released 1946).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/24685|title=The Bandit of Sherwood Forest|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref>

Back at Fox, he played the male lead in ''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]'' (1945), with [[Gene Tierney]] and [[Jeanne Crain]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/24478|title=Leave Her to Heaven|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref> an enormous hit at the box office.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Geoff |date=25 September 2012 |title=DVD: Leave Her to Heaven |work=[[The Arts Desk]] |url=https://theartsdesk.com/film/dvd-leave-her-heaven |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> ''Bandit'' was also a big hit when it was released.

In 1946, Wilde was voted the 18th-most popular star in the United States, and in 1947 the 25th-.<ref>{{cite news |last=Richard L. Coe |date=January 3, 1948 |title=Bing's Lucky Number: Pa Crosby Dons 4th B.O. Crown |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Fox announced him for ''Enchanted Voyage''.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 27, 1945 |title=News of the Screen |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107254401}}}} {{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref> It ended up not being made; instead he was reunited with Crain in Fox's musical ''[[Centennial Summer]]'' (1946).

In January 1946, Wilde was suspended by Fox for refusing the male lead in ''[[Margie (1946 film)|Margie]]'' (1946).<ref>{{cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |date=January 11, 1946 |title=Studio suspends Cornel Wilde |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |id={{ProQuest|165657309}}}} {{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref> This suspension was soon lifted so Wilde could play the male lead in the studio's big budget version of ''[[Forever Amber (film)|Forever Amber]]'' (1947).<ref name="afiamber">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/25169|title=Forever Amber|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref>{{efn|The budget was estimated as over $3,000,000.<ref name="afiamber" />}} Filming started, then was halted when the studio decided to replace [[Peggy Cummins]], the female star. In October 1946, Wilde refused to return to work unless he was paid more; his salary was $3,000 a week, with six years to run – he wanted $150,000 per film for two films per year.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 16, 1946 |title=Fox's 'Forever Amber' in trouble again as Cornel Wilde holds out for salary rise. |newspaper=The New York Times |id={{ProQuest|107755306}}}} {{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref> The parties came to an agreement and filming resumed.<ref name="afiamber" /> Wilde also appeared with [[Maureen O'Hara]] in ''[[The Homestretch]]'' (1947).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/25203|title=The Homestretch|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref>

He was in a comedy at Columbia with [[Ginger Rogers]], ''[[It Had to Be You (1947 film)|It Had to Be You]]'' (1947).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/25215|title=It Had to Be You|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref> At Fox he turned down a role in ''[[That Lady in Ermine]]'' (1948). Not wanting to go on suspension again he agreed to make ''[[The Walls of Jericho (1948 film)|The Walls of Jericho]]'' (1948), from the same director as ''Leave Her to Heaven'' but less popular. ''[[Road House (1948 film)|Road House]]'' (1948), for Fox, was a highly regarded [[film noir]] and a decent-sized hit. He then left Fox, which he later regarded as a mistake.